Hit it off

Life has recently brought about new and interesting circumstances, many of which have been out of my control – and the control of anyone else who has been affected by these changes for that matter. The talk of the town has been about what might happen next, but in the end, worrying about it will do no good. There are far more important issues to contemplate beyond what interesting twist life is going to serve up next. Rolling with the punches and grabbing life by the horns when ever possible seems to be the most effective tactic – at least in my life. Which brings me to my latest encounter…

In light of recent shifts and potentially scary outcomes of a personal matter, I’ve managed to pick up the remaining pieces of my shattered outlook (okay, so that’s quite the exaggeration) and make the most of my down time. After a hectic week, going into a weekend unprepared can be a little intimidating, so I decided to visit an acquaintance of mine to take my mind off the current state of affairs. Little did I know the impact this quick visit would bring.

Trying to describe a person that you would want to be a close friend with can be a daunting task, and often, I’ve found, you don’t really know what you’re looking for until you’ve found it. In fact, this applies to all kinds of relationships, but we’ll save that for another day. So approaching conversation with a person who has not been in your life long can either be intimidating or gratifying depending on the expectations. Encounters such as these tend to go smoother when the initiator has lower expectations (not to confuse with “lowered expectations”). It seems I’m heading slightly off topic here…back to the show.

After brief contact with this acquaintance, it was clear that a friendship was evolving. Conversation flowed freely and we took comfort in the company of one another. Over time we have become closer friends, relying on one another, even if it’s just for company on a random Thursday evening. This growing relationship has provided me with some much-needed support these last few weeks, though I’m sure my friend does not fully understand the extent to which this is the case. I hope one day to be able to return the favor – to be there when I’m needed most. Because in the end, it’s the two-way street of friendship that proves most fulfilling.

Here’s to new, meaningful, lasting relationships.

Cheers!

-A